This is a recurring theme post that I'll submit when I have nothing else to talk about. This first one, I'm afraid, is a sad one. It is a story that must be told before any others though:

Life on an Aircraft Carrier at sea is all work and no play. Stand watch/work, eat, shower, sleep. Repeat cycle once more during that day. Carriers stay at sea for long periods of time; because they are so expensive yet vital that you can't ever have enough Carriers. Even when there's no hot war going on, there's always a cold war. A need for a show of force, and when a Carrier Battle Group show's up off of your coast- it's seriously time to rethink whatever you did that made them come there.

I worked in the pit, or the hole, but it's official name was #2 Main Machinery Room. It held two massive Boilers and all it's auxiliary equipment plus an electical generator. Not to mention #2 Main engine, a huge steam turbine that turned the shaft that turned the screw (propeller). Propellers that are two stories tall. It was a big but crowded place. When in operation there were no less then twelve people on duty, and at sea we were alway's in operation.

One day, most members of our watch team were still up in our berthing compartment (coop). We should have been asleep but we were young back then. We had music going and couldn't hear the ship's intercom system. Another member who had been asleep came by and said he heard the annoucment that there was a "major fuel oil leak in 4 Main". Another main machinery room just like our's. The music stopped, and four tired and yet still goofing off young men had the same thought.... I hope he dreamed that. Fuel oil leaks equal fire, and major fuel oil leaks equal major fire. I even had a friend, that I went through bootcamp with, working there. So my second thought was "Where's Paul?".

"GENERAL QUARTERS... GENERAL QUARTERS... ALL HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!!!!".

Uh oh, that's not good. Maybe it's just a precaution, and we lose our time off hanging in our machinery room until they clean up the spill in 4 Main. It's happened before. We'll just go to our station and wait it out. Maybe even find a corner to doze in since we're not on watch. Then I'll rag on Paul first chance I get. "Hey what kinda operation are you guys running down there?"

The lights go out.... and then the worst feeling of all, was no feeling at all. The ship stopped moving. You feel the vibration of those huge screws pushing you though the water until you don't notice it anymore. Until it's gone

All stop. Dead in the water.

The Navy has a procedure for everything, and a back-up procedure to that, plus an all heck is breaking loose procedure. We made our way to the deck where we would head to our station by preplaned route.  We met thick black smoke, heat, and chaos. Time for the all heck is breaking loose procedure. We made our way to the hangerbay. It's packed with planes, and now people. It's a controlled chaos here, because training is kicking in. There where many lines forming to go down and fight the fire. Long lines, because everyone wanted to. As I was waiting, I noticed that our escort ships had pulled away from us. A long way away from us..... a smart move in that they could do nothing in this instance, but it still unnerved me. They were our protectors but they couldn't stop this. Our line wasn't moving yet and I was in a daze, focusing on the rest of the battle group moving away.

It was very noisey, but I don't remember hearing anything. Until I heard "PAUL WAKE UP..CAN YOU HERE ME..WAKE UP". Not fifteen feet away from me my friend was dying a hero's death. He had sucumed to smoke inhalation while fleeing the fire. He might have made it, but he did what any hero would do. He secured his watch station and used an excape hatch to leave. The thing with escape tunnels is that you have to close and latch them behind you, or else you'll make a chimmey effect for the next person. If not, the fire will race right up and keep on spreading, if someone opens the entrance hatch while the exit hatch is open.
 
Paul R. Chappell, Jr. 

Paul was carried to the hangerbay after being found past out beside the properly closed and secured escape hatch he had just used. He secured the hatch. He gave his life so that maybe, just maybe, someone else could use that hatch. He died in the hangerbay in front of me and many more of his friends.

This post is dedicated to the memory of all who lost their lives that day.

                                 MM1 Roy T. Johnston            
                                 MM3 Larry W. Stomer
                                 BT3 Rick A. Teichert
                                 MM3 Michael W. Williams
                                 FN Gregory W. Cochran 
.                                FN Paul R. Chappel, Jr.


                                                  -AmeriDan   (10/27/06    12:20pm)